Housing association joins forces with inventor to tackle fuel poverty

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Leeds Federated Housing Association has teamed up with a local inventor to fight fuel poverty.

Stan Whetstone, 68, invented the Oxypod to cut energy bills and it has been developed and brought to market by the Goodwin Development Trust, a Yorkshire-based social enterprise.

Stan has fitted Oxypods to two Leeds Federated properties which are the first in the city to benefit from the ingenious device. His hair dryer shaped Oxypods have been proven to cut the amount of energy used by up to 30% giving a big saving on energy bills.

The Oxypod works by removing air from central heating systems and improves efficiency by reducing the amount of friction in the pipes. This can lower heating bills, shorten the time it takes to heat a property and extend the life of a central heating system. Oxypods are made of metal and come with a 40-year guarantee making them a long lasting and inexpensive way of using less energy.

The Oxypod device is manufactured in Halifax and the profits are invested back into the Goodwin Development Trust to improve the quality of life of vulnerable people.

Inventor, Stan, started his career as a smithy at Kirkstall forge before working for various heating companies where he started to think up ways of improving heating systems.

Leeds Federated’s Energy Sustainability Manager, David Malsom said: “Fuel bills are an increasing burden on most households and we are constantly looking for ways of helping our customers save money. We are delighted to partner with the Goodwin Development Trust to bring the Oxypod to Leeds. It’s an innovative device which will help fight fuel poverty in the city.”

Oxypod inventor, Stan Whetstone, said: “The Oxypod is a Yorkshire invention and I’m pleased to see it helping people in my home town. It can be used in domestic properties or by businesses and it has been trialled in offices, community centres and nursing homes with great results. I hope it will help to reduce the energy bills of many more people across the UK and beyond.”

Stan already has more inventions in the pipeline for reducing the energy used by households and businesses.